Basically, poker is a card game where the goal is to have the best hand possible. The highest hand wins the pot. There are hundreds of variations of the game. Some games use a single deck of cards, while others use two or more packs of cards.

Typically, there are four suits in a deck of 52 cards. The cards are ranked from Ace to ten. For example, an ace is the lowest rank, and a king is the highest. Some variant games include wild cards. These cards can be used to fill out a hand, or to add value to other cards.

The earliest version of poker in Europe is thought to be a 17th-century French game called poque. It is believed to have been brought to the New World by French settlers in New Orleans.

In the most basic form of poker, each player is dealt five cards. A pair of kings is not bad off the deal, but you don’t have to keep it. You can discard any of your cards, or you can play them.

Once you’ve decided what you’re going to do, you’ll bet into the pot. The amount of the bet will depend on the type of game you’re playing. You’ll probably bet a small amount, and then increase your bet as the game progresses.

Once the first betting round is over, you’ll be dealt a second set of cards. You’ll have to decide whether you’re going to raise, call, or fold.